Filled bag sewing apparatus



Sept. 28, 1937. F. A. PARK, JR

FILLED BAG SEWING APPARATUS Filed June 18, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 28, 1937. F. A. PARK, JR 2,094,464

FILLED BAG SEWING APPARATUS Filed June 18, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fra n kl Park, bl

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Sept. 28, 1937. F. A. PARK, JR

FILLED BAG SEWING APPARATUS Filed June 18, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 EEEEEEN wane: A ya M r Patented Sept. 28, 1!?37 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,094,464 FILLED BAG SEWING APPARATUS Application June 18, 1936, Serial No. 85,933

Claims.

This invention relates to sewing machines and more particularly to an improvement in the filled bag closing apparatus forming the subject of the pending patent application of Irving F. Webb, Serial No. 5340, filed Feb. 7, 1935,;dlsclosing a filled bag closing apparatus which is adapted to be conveniently moved over the floor to any particular group of more or less disorderly arranged filled bags, thereby obviating the neces- 10 sity of transporting the bags to the machine.

In practice, it has been found that the bags, before they are filled, vary somewhat in dimension and, while each bag may subsequently contain the same weight of material, they may, when filled, vary somewhat in height. This condition presents a problem, in the matter of the disposition of the closing seam with respect to the bag mouth, which has heretofore caused a material reduction in output of machines of this character, since no saisfactory quick-acting means has been provided for adjusting the machine to compensate for such variations.

The present invention therefore has for its primary object the provisionof simple means for expeditiously adjusting the sewing apparatus relative to the bag to position the closing seam where desired with respect to the bag mouth.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of primary means for elfecting verti- 30 cal adjustments of the sewing head over a wide range to accommodate the machine to a group of bags of a substantially uniform height, and secondary means for effecting vertical adjustments of the sewing head over a narrow range to compens'ate for such variations as there may be in the height of individual bags of the group.

It is a further object of the invention to provide the above noted adjustments in a structure wherein the sewing machine is so supported that 40 it cannot swing pendulum fashion in the closing of a given bag but is compelled to move across the bag mouth at a definite predetermined elevation.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention, from which the several features of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a filled bag sewing apparatus embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view and Fig. 3

is a rear elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 4 represents a section, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on the line 4-4, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 represents a section substantially on the line 5-5, Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal or vertical section through the machine supporting column, substantially on the line 66, Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional elevation of the horizontal arm showing the carriage and the quick-acting adjusting means for the sewing unit. Fig. 8 represents a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 88, Fig. 7. Figs. 9, 10, 11, and 12 illustrate, respectively, sections taken substantially on the lines 9-9, Ni -l0, and. l2--l2, Fig. 1. Fig. 13 represents a section substantially on the line l3-l3, Fig. 1. Fig. 14 is a disassembled perspective view of one of the pairs of carriage wheels and their axle shown in Figs. 7 and 9. Figs. 15 and 16 are enlarged views illustrating one form of latch means for holding the horizontal arm in inoperative position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

In the particular embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of the present disclosure, the machine comprises an ambulatory supporting base I having bolted thereto at one end an upstanding tubular main supporting column 2 on which is mounted for horizontal and vertical movement a horizontally disposed arm 3 suitably carrying a translatably movable sewing unit 4.

To enable the filled bag sewing apparatus to be moved bodily from one location to another by a universally mounted tongue 5, the main supporting base I is preferably mounted on wheels 6 and ball-bearing casters 1, the latter of which are shown in detail in Fig. 5.

The horizontal arm 3, which may be adjusted vertically over a wide range, is bolted to a projecting frame member 8 formed integral with an arm-supporting casting 9 which is provided with upper and lower collars l0, ll journaled, by means of roller bearings l2, lZ upon the main supporting column 2. To stiifen the arm 3, a suitable brace I3 is connected at its upper end to the arm 3 and is connected at its lower end to an ear l4 on the casting 9. The collar I0 is closed at its upper end by a cover ring l5 fitted with the usual felt washer I 6 which serves to exclude dust and the like from the roller bearing I2 For vertically adjusting the working position of the horizontal arm 3 on the column 2, there is preferably provided primary manually operable means housed within a casing I'l formed upon a sleeve 18. surrounding the column 2. Disposed 55 upon the top of the sleeve I8 is a ball-thrust bearing l9 upon which rests the arm-supporting cast ing 9. The primary adjusting means within the casing comprises a shaft 20 having pinion 2| keyed thereto which meshes with a rack 22 cut in the side of the column 2. The shaft 20 also has fixed thereto a worm gear 23 with which meshes a worm 24 on the shaft 25 fitted with a handcrank 26 by means of which the working position of the horizontal arm 3 can be adjusted. Because of the irreversibility of the gearing, no locking means is required to maintain the arm 3 in adjusted position when the hand'of the operator is removed from the crank 26.

The horizontal arm 3 is preferably made from a sheet-metal blank folded longitudinally to form an inverted trough the edges of which are curled inwardly to provide spaced parallel trackways 21 for the wheels 28 of the carriage 29 from which is supported for turning movement about a vertical axis the sewing unit 4. The wheels 28 are arranged in pairs on the shafts 30 joumaled in hearings in the supports 3| to which are fastened the carriage-suspension arms 32.

The carriage 29 is fitted with a vertically adjustable depending shaft 33 on which is journaled, on the ball-thrust bearing 34, the supporting casting 35 of the sewing unit 4, which comprises a conventional sewing head 35 and its driving motor 31, the latter of which runs continuously. In the carriage 29, the bearing 33, in which the shaft 33 is adapted to slide, is preferably of suflicient length to prevent any appreciable lateral movement of the shaft 33 relative to the carriage 29. To eliminate objectionable binding action between the shaft 33 and the car-- riage 29, the former is preferably so located as to pass substantially through the center of mass of the electrically driven sewing unit 4.

The secondary means employed for adjusting the filled bag sewing apparatus to compensate for slight variations in the height of the individual bags of a particular group, comprises a handlever 38, Figs. 7 and 8, secured to the upper end of the shaft 33 and fulcrumed intermediate its ends to the lower extremity of a depending link 39 which is pivoted upon a stud 40 provided on the carriage-suspension arm 32. When it is desired to raise the sewing unit 4, it is merely necessary for the operator to grasp the hand-lever 38 and pull downwardly. It has been found advantageous to position the free end of the handlever 38 adjacent the supporting column 2, for in this position the hand-lever may be conveniently manipulated from the normal working position of the operator.

To maintain the sewing unit in adjusted position, there is provided a spring-influenced pawl 4|, Fig. 7, which is pivoted at 4| on the lever 38 and engages a segmental ratchet 42 cast integral with the carriage-suspension arm 32. When it is desired to lower the sewing unit, it is necessary that the pawl be disengaged from the ratchet and, to this end, there is provided suitable trip means comprising a pivotally mounted finger-lever 43 operatively connected to the pawl 4| by the link 44, as shown in Fig. 1. In the operation of the trip means, the hand-lever 38 is pulled downwardly slightly and subsequent manipulation of the finger-lever 43 turns the pawl 4|, against the action of the spring 45, out of engagement with the ratchet 42, thereby permitting the sewing head to be lowered to the desired elevation.

The material of which the bags are made is frequently of a flimsy texture and since no means,

other than the hand of the operator, is employed I for maintaining the mouths of the filled bags in position during the sewing operation, the sewing unit is equipped with a horizontal handle-bar 46 which may be grasped by the operator to direct the machine along" the mouth of the filled bag, which is preferably substantially a straight line between the full and dotted line position illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Obviously the sewing head may be steered in any path, regardless of its direction or curvature, inasmuch as the sewing unit may turn in a predetermined horizontal plane about the shaft 33 which depends from the carriage 29 shiftable lengthwise of the arm 3 which turns about the column 2 in an arc of substantially 360 degrees.

The sewing head 38 has preferably the regular four-motion feeding mechanism and the usual stitch-forming mechanism including the reciprocatory needle 41 which is actuated from the main shaft 48 carrying the tight and loose pulleys 49 and which are driven by the belt 5| from the motor 31. To start the sewing head 36, the belt 5| is shifted from the loose to the tight pulley by the belt-shipper lever 52, Fig. 13, which is fulcrumed on the stud 53 threaded into the supporting casting 35 of the sewing unit 4. For actuation thereof, the belt-shipper is fitted with an operating bar 54 so positioned adjacent the handlebar 46 as to enable the operator to grasp both of them in one hand and press the former toward the latter in opposition to the coil-spring 55 which urges the belt-shipper 52 in a direction to shift the belt 5| onto the loose pulley 50. Upon release of the operating bar 54, the spring 55 acts to shift the belt 5| onto the loose pulley and also apply the brake 56 of the belt-shipper 52 to the tight pulley 49.

The upper end of the main supporting column 2 is connected by means of the tie-rod 51 to the rearward end of the main supporting base I which is provided with a counterweight 58. In order that the arm 3 may tend to assume a normal position substantially in the vertical plane containing the axis of the supporting column 2 and the tierod 51, the top of the column is preferably slightly inclined to the left, as shown by the lines a: and y in Fig. 1.

Clamped upon the tie-rod is a hook 59 adapted to be turned to engage the brace |3 when the arm 3 is turned to the out-of-the-way position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l, which is preferably the position of the arm when the apparatus is not in use, or when it is being moved over the floor by means of the tongue 5 from one location to another.

It will be observed in Figs. 9 and that the carriage-suspension arm supports 3| and the wheels 28 are of such width as to substantially fill the space within the arm 3 and consequently the sewing unit 4 cannot tilt sidewise of the arm from a vertical position. The distance between the wheels 28, Fig. 7, lengthwise of the arm 3 is sufllcient to prevent the shaft 33 from tilting toward or away from the supporting column 2. Thus, it may be seen that the shaft 33 is maintained at all times in parallelism with the main supporting column 2 and the sewing machine is of filled bags, or the like, to be stitched. Furthermore, with the present invention, the slight variation in the heights of the individualbags does not cause an appreciable reduction in the number of bags stitched by the present filled bag closing apparatus, it being evident that the sewing unit 4 may be rapidly adjusted vertically, over a, range sufficiently large to accommodate the differences in bag heights, by means of the conveniently located hand-lever 38 mounted on the longitudinally shiftable carriage 29.

It is obvious that many changes in the specific details of construction and the arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:--

1. A filled bag closing apparatus comprising a support, a vertically adjustable sewing head carried by said support, said head being adapted to operate upon the mouths of filled bags disposed beneath the sewing head, primary means for effecting major vertical adjustments of the sewing head over a wide range to accommodate the machine to a particular group of bags of a substantially uniform height, relatively rapidly operable secondary means for effecting minor vertical adjustments of the sewing head over a narrow range to compensate for slight variations in the height of individual bags of said group, and manually releasable means carried by the secondary adjusting means for maintaining the sewing head in adjusted position.

2. A sewing apparatus including, in combination, a supporting column, a horizontally disposed arm mounted for vertical movement on said supporting column, means for adjusting said arm vertically to different elevations on said column,

a sewing head carried by said arm, means including a lever operatively connected with said head for raising and lowering the sewing head relative to said arm, and means including a ratchet and a pawl pivoted to said lever and adapted to engage said ratchet for maintaining said sewing head in adjusted sewing position.

3. In a sewing machine, a supporting column, a vertically adjustable arm free at one end and at its other end journaled on said column to swing freely about the longitudinal axis of the latter at a constant working,elevation, means for adjusting said arm vertically to different positions on said column, a carriage sustained by and shiftable lengthwise of said arm, a vertically adjustable sewing head pivotally supported from said carriage for turning movement at a constant elevation, and rapidly operable means accessible from the operators normal working position for vertically adjusting the sewing head relative to said carriage.

4. In a machine of the class described, a standard, a horizontally disposed arm mounted for vertical and horizontal movement on said standard, means on said standard for adjusting said arm vertically to different positions on said standard, a carriage, mounted on said arm for movement longitudinally thereof, a vertically adjustable sewing head pivotally supported from said carriage for turning movement at a constant elevation, a lever operatively connected with the sewing head and accessible from the normal working position of the operator for rapidly adjusting the sewing head relative to said carriage,

and means for maintaining the sewing head in adjusted sewing position.

-5. In a machine of the class described, a supporting column, a vertically adjustable arm free at one end and at its other end journaled on said column to swing freely about the longitudinal axis of the latter at a constant working elevation, means for adjusting said arm vertically to different working elevations on said column, a carriage supported from and movable lengthwise of said arm, a vertically adjustable sewing unit comprising a sewing headand its driving motor pivotally supported from said carriage for turning movement at a constant elevation, a lever operatively connected with said sewing unit and accessible from the normal working position of the operator for rapidly raising and lowering the sewing unit relative to said carriage, and means including a ratchet and pawl for maintaining the sewing unit in adjusted sewing position.

6. In a machine of the class described, a supporting column, a vertically adjustable arm free at one end and at its other end journaled on said column to swing freely about the longitudinal axis of the latter at a constant working elevation, means for adjusting said arm vertically to different positions on said column, a carriage mounted on said arm for movement longitudinally thereof, a vertically adjustable sewing head pivotally supported from said carriage for turning movement at a constant elevation, and means for adjusting the sewing head relative to said carriage comprising a lever extending toward the supporting column and terminating in a handle adjacent said column.

'7. A filled bag closing apparatus comprising a supporting structure including a horizontal arm having tracks extending longitudinally thereof, a carriage movable on said tracks and provided with a vertically disposed bearing, a shaft slidably mounted in said bearing, a sewing machine and its driving motor pivotally supported on said shaft for turning movement at a constant elevation, a pivotally mounted lever operatively connected to said shaft for slidably raising and lowering the shaft in said bearing, and means for maintaining said shaft in a selected one of a number of positions.

8. A filled bag closing apparatus including, in combination, a supporting column, a. vertically adjustable arm supported by said column for turning movement at a constant working elevation, a sewing unit sustained by said arm for turning movement at a constant elevation, said sewing unit being adapted to operate upon the mouths of filled bags disposed beneath the sewing unit, primary means for effecting major vertical adjustments of the sewing unit over a wide range to accommodate the apparatus to a particular group of bags of a substantially uniform height, and relatively rapidly operable means for effecting minor vertical adjustments of the sewing unit over a narrow range to compensate for slight variations in the height of individual bags of said group.

9. A filled bag closing apparatus comprising a support, a vertically adjustable sewing head carried by said support, primary means for effecting major vertical adjustments of the sewing unit over a wide range, secondary means for effecting minor vertical adjustments of the sewing head over a narrow range, locking means for maintaining the sewing head in adjusted position, and a manually actuated trip for releasing said looking means.

10. In a machine of the class described, a. supmovement at a constant elevation, a pivotally porting structure including a horizontal arm mounted lever supporting saidshaft, and means having tracks extendingiongitudinaily thereof, on said lever for maintaining said slidable shaft a carriage movable on said tracks, a shaft slidably in adjusted position.

5 mounted in said carriage, a. sewing machine 6 pivotally supported on said shaft for turning FRANKLIN A. PARK, JR. 4 

